THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:This academic year, let it be a fresh start, an organic one. For those of you who want to usher in the school year by adhering to eco-friendly ways and lending a helping hand to the differently abled community, choices galore at Handicrops.
School merchandise ranging from spectacularly crafted eco-friendly pens to premium quality school bags are being brought to the market by the Handicrops this year. A collective of differently-abled individuals, Handicrops started functioning as a company last December.
School kits have been tailor-made for high school students and upper primary level students. Replete with sets of seed pens (paper pens which have a seed inside it), bag, umbrella, notebooks, these kits created by the differently abled individuals encompass every other merchandise one needs to usher in the new academic year.
It was two years back that a collective of differently abled individuals in Kerala was formed under the label 'Handicrops'. “The need to start such an initiative was felt so as to ensure that the differently abled individuals get to involve themselves in an occupation and get to lead a full life,” said Sooraj Kodungalloor, one of the directors and a differently abled. Of the 8 directors the company has, 5 are differently abled and with an exhaustive list of merchandise the group is making a considerable change in the lives of the many differently abled in the state.
Seventeen years ago, life dealt a severe blow to Thaha A, a resident of the city. He had clambered up a tree to remove the microphone affixed to it but lost his footing and fell. Thaha used to work for a light-and-sounds company. The fall inflicted a severe spinal injury, confining him to the four walls of his home. But his resolve was unwavering and he chose to tackle his condition head-on. He has been fashioning out umbrellas for the past several years. It is by crafting LED bulbs, paper pens, and other electronic articles that he earns his livelihood and takes the family of three forward. “It is all about surging ahead without brooding about what happened. This has provided an avenue for us to market our goods,” adds Thaha who is the sole breadwinner of his family. He also meets other people who are physically challenged and try to motivate them back to lead a fruitful life. There are thousands like him in the city, engaged in crafting a plethora of these articles which are being brought to the market by Handicrops.
“The larger aim is to ensure that all the differently abled in the country become self-sufficient and that their lives aren't confined within the four walls of their home,” says Sooraj. Even while generating employment opportunities, Handicrops ensure that it is done in an organic, environment-friendly manner. So you have a seed pen, paper folders, paper bags, cloth bags for saplings and so forth. “We are trying from our end to keep it green and environment friendly,” Sooraj adds cheerfully.
“The trainings are provided free of cost and once they are well adept at creating these, their products are brought to the market by us. I used to work in palliative care and we noted that there was a need to develop job opportunities for them. Being engaged in such activities has also brought a significant change in the lives and the quality of life has improved by leaps and bounds,” says Sivamoni E, one of the co-ordinators.